Our Mission

The Donald Vaccaro Charitable Foundation provides assistance to organizations and individuals pursuing projects which further our values. Started in 2014, the DVCF builds upon our founder Don Vaccaro’s history of individual and corporate charitable giving. At the current moment, the foundation is giving out grants in the areas of Gender Equity in Education, specifically in Science and Technology, as well as promoting Music Education in areas where this may not be available to students. Please view our current Grants page for more information on these opportunities.

Our Values

1. Joyful living. We look to support people in furtherance of their life dreams. We believe passion produces results.

“I always encourage my employees to follow their dreams. One of the greatest benefits of being successful in business in my life is that I’ve been able to achieve many of my diverse life dreams, and I encourage this in others. I always wanted to run a restaurant, and I’ve been able to basically do that through my companies free food programs. I’ve always loved music and I’ve been able to be involved with the entertainment industry for over 30 years. I always wanted to found a school, and I’ve been able to do that through the extensive training and free educational programs at my companies. It is a truly wonderful thing to be able to realize your dreams in some form, and I want to help make that possible for others.” -Don Vaccaro

2. Meritocracy. We believe in supporting people and organizations regardless of color, creed, or other superficial differences. We believe in a truly level playing field for all.

“I’ve always looked to hire a very diverse workforce, even historically when certain groups were disadvantaged generally in their opportunities. I’ve been very lucky to work with people of all types from all over the world, and the rich fabric of their experiences have improved my life dramatically. At the end of the day, I view everyone equally and believe that we should reward people for their efforts and their contribution rather than focusing on other superficial characteristics.” -Don Vaccaro
3. Hard work. We believe in supporting people and organizations that demonstrate a strong work ethic and a dedication to achieving results.

“Nothing beats hard work in terms of getting things done. If I’ve learned anything from business it is to invest in people which pull the oars the hardest, the ones who contribute rather than complain.” -Don Vaccaro
4. Efficiency. We believe in supporting people and organizations that demonstrate they can work efficiently and use resources carefully in meeting their goals.

“There is usually a smarter, cleaner, more efficient way to get things done. The more efficiently we achieve something, the more we can ultimately achieve. Let’s be smart and get more done.” -Don Vaccaro
5. Innovation. We believe in supporting people and organizations that seek out and utilize novel approaches to resolving problems.

“In my lifetime, the way business operates has changed dramatically, from manual, slow paper and phone based solutions to highly automated, high tech fixes which make life much easier. At my companies, we try to innovate constantly, looking for new approaches to old problems. This innovation is what has driven our success, and what we see producing success in others.” -Don Vaccaro